July 18 / 19

Woke up to rain this morning.  It was just a few drops then as I was hiking it got worse.  At this dirt road that the trail crossed there was a kiosk about the area trails and a large outhouse that was surprisingly clean and did not smell.  I hid out in the privy with the door wide open until the rain subsided which took about 45 minutes.  All I had to do was fight off the mosquitoes because they had the same plan that I did. 😕

Because of the rain and slick trail I had to be careful again on the rock faces that I traversed.  I made it to West Carry Pond Lean-to and decided to tent camp just past the shelter because the weather had  improved.  I'm at mile 2027.7 and drying out.  Tomorrow I should make it to Caratunk, Maine for a small resupply. 

7 / 19  Started hiking at 6 this morning.  It's light outside at 5 in the morning.  I've hiked into Caratunk, Maine and went to Northern Outdoors for a shower and just a few snacks then back to the trail since it's still early afternoon.  The skies have cleared other than a few stray clouds.

As soon as the skies cleared not 2 hours later the clouds rolled back in and now it's overcast.  A slight sprinkle has developed.  I've hiked another 5 miles past Caratunk and stopped at Pleasant Pond Lean-to for a quick snack.  Ended up pushing on and spending the night at Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to.  I'm dead tired.  The one good thing is that it's all downhill from here into Monson, Maine for tomorrow's hike. 

July 20 / 21

I made it to Monson, Maine in the afternoon.  I'm staying at Shaws Lodging and was able to get a private room.  I will stay here for a nero.  This is the last outpost at the southern end of the 100 mile wilderness.  I want to stay here and rest for the remainder of the day and sleep in a bed tonight before heading out into it.  This will be the last major section of the AT and wilderness before Baxter State Park.

The 100 mile wilderness is described as arduous and unforgiving but extremely beautiful.  I'm thinking it will take me 6 to 8 days but who knows.  Eight days would mean a 12.5 mile daily average.  The weather and trail conditions will be major factors.  I'm going to carry enough food for 8 days so my pack will be heavy to begin with.  Water won't be a problem.  I'll keep up with my blog but will have no contact with civilization, only other hikers.  Once out of the 100 mile wilderness I will still have to enter Baxter State Park for the climb up Katahdin, but I'll be able to resupply prior to the final climb.

7 / 21  I'm often asked, so what's it like to hike the trail?  Well the AT from my perspective is really just steping on, over, and around rocks and roots, and rocks and roots, and more rocks and roots.  And then it's always up and down, and up and down.  I mean you're constantly having to look down and maneuver around these obstacles which are rocks and roots.  In a millisecond you decide on a safe foot placement hoping you don't slip.  Then many sections are just about straight up or straight down and you wonder how am I ever going to do it, yet you do.  When you do reach a summit and other hikers are there, they look at you and nod with approval.  No words need be spoken.  They know and you know just how much you busted your butt to get there.  So you smile, soak in the glory and view, snap some pictures, and bask in the fact that you did it.  And then you wonder, what's next......

So I'm planning on leaving for the trail at 9 am this morning.  Wish me luck.....I have 114.5 miles to go.

July 17

The lady who runs the motel/hostel gave me and several others a ride at 7:30 to the trailhead.  The next stretch of wilderness that I will do is 37 miles long and comes out at Caratunk, Maine.  Right now I'm at exactly 2001.0 miles of my journey.  I have 188.2 miles to go.  Probably another 14 days more or less.  It all depends on the trail, the weather, my nero and zeros, and lastly when I need to resupply.  I'm ready to finish but I'm not going to push myself.  I want to summit Katahdin under clear blue skies.  So I'm realistically looking at the end of July or the first week of August which is about when I figured I would finish.

I started off today's hike with another north bound thru hiker who goes by Not Yet.  I've hiked with him before.  He's younger and faster than me so he took off on his own after about an hour of hiking together. The hike took me up and over the Bigelow Mountains and Avery Peak.  I crossed paths along the way with several south bound hikers, and bunch of day hikers who always interview me about my journey. The views today were outstanding because the weather was perfect.  I've stopped for the night at mile 2015.5 and am tent camping just 50 yards from the trail by myself and just before Little Bigelow Lean-to or shelter.  In Maine the shelters are referred to as lean-to's.